Jeremy Corbyn confirms he will run against Labour as an independent in Islington North
Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he is standing against Labour as an independent candidate in his constitutency of Islington North.
The controversial former Labour leader has been the MP for Islington North since 1983, but was stripped of the party whip in November 2020.
Mr Corbyn had the whip removed after an investigation found there was antisemitism under his leadership, which he said was "dramatically overstated".
In 2020 a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found the Labour Party under Mr Corbyn's leadership was "responsible for unlawful acts" of antisemitic discrimination and harrassment.
The 16-month investigation into antisemitism also said the party broke equality laws.
The 130-page report said it found "significant failings in the way the Labour Party has handled anti-Semitism complaints over the last four years".
In March last year Sir Keir Starmer put forward a motion at Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) to vote not to endorse Mr Corbyn in contesting Islington North at the election. The motion passed by 22 votes to 12.
It cited the dismal defeat for Labour under Mr Corbyn in the 2019 general election, in arguing his candidacy should be blocked.
The move to block Mr Corbyn from standing came after the equalities watchdog lifted Labour out of two years of special measures.
Speaking on Friday, Sir Keir said it was Mr Corbyn's "choice" to stand as an independent, and urged voters in Islington North to "vote for change - vote Labour".
Labour released their shortlist of candidates on Wednesday, with Sem Moema, a member of the London Assembly, and Praful Nargund, an Islington councillor the only two in the running.
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In the nearby London constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Britain's longest-serving black MP Diane Abbott is also awaiting a decision on whether she can stand for Labour.
Ms Abbott has sat as an independent since April after the Labour whip was withdrawn following comments she made in The Observer suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism “all their lives”.
She quickly apologised for "any anguish caused" by the comments, and said there were "errors" in an initial draft that was sent to the newspaper.
Senior Labour figures Angela Rayner and Harriet Harman have said they would like to see Ms Abbott back as an MP since the racism row broke last week.
A number of other Labour figures have had the whip removed and reinstated for comments made since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7 - including Andy MacDonald and Kate Osamor.
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